Method and apparatus for the storage of hay



March 19, 1935. F. J. KREUTzx-:R 1,994,654

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE STORAGE OF HAY Filed oct. 17, 1932 s sheets-sheet 1 241* 'ATTORNEYS l.

March 19, 1935. F. J. KREUTZER 1,994,654

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE STORAGE OF HAY Filed'Oct. 17, 1932 3 Sheets-SheetI 2 ATTORN EYS March 19, 1935. F. J. KREuTzr-:R 1,994,554

METHOD AND APPMATUS FOR THE sToRAG oF HAY y Filed oct'. f1?, 1932 5 sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYS Patented Mm. 19, 1935 METHOD AND AJLPAEUAIUSV FOR THE STORAGE OF HAY' Frederic J. Kreutaer, Elmira, N. Y., assigner to James Manufacturing Company, Fort Atkinson, Wis., a` corporation of Wisconsin Y -Applicationctober 17, 1932, Serial No. 638,080 Y Y claims. (or sas- 54) 5 so as to maintain the hay in such a condition that it will not catch redue to spontaneous combustion and so that any gases which may be vgenerated in the hay will be rapidly carried away.

AIt is a further object to provide a container for the hay of such characterthat itis a vconductor of electricity to prevent the gasesv in the Vhay being ignited by static electricity or'by lightning.

It is a further object to provide a hay container which will act as a lightning conductor in order to protect adjacentpbuildings.

Itis a `particular object of my invention toV provide a structure comprised of unitary sections so that any height of y hay container `may be employed; and a construction which may be quickly erected without the aid of skilled labor, it being possible'tofabricate the entire construction at a factory, transport it to the farm in sections and erectvit at the farm with ordinary labor. l e v,

In particular, it is my object to providea forced draft evacuation of the'gasesgenerated` in the hay and a `forced draft method ofi circulating fresh air through the hay for ycuring purposes.

In practicing the method of my invention, the hay is cut, and, after a brief preliminary drying period in the field orvafter predrying mechanically, the hay is choppedlin more orless vgreen condition and delivered by a blowerv through the roof. vThe chopped hay which still has a considerable moisture content can be thus safely stored in my container because it is continuously ventilated according to my method withoutA danger of'moulding, spoiling or heating resulting in spontaneous'combustion. While the hay can be stored without chopping, yet I prefer to do so as a greater content can be securedwithin a given size container and the hay is easier to handle and feed in that condition. It also facilitates the even ventilation of the entire mass.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of the hay storage chamber; d y

Figure 2 is a` section on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 1s a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, with the ceiling 19a omitted inorder to show passageway 19; l

Figure 4 `is an enlarged section showing the arrangement of the wire mesh, the outer and inner walls andthe supports for the wire mesh on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 indicates vthe ground or other support Vfor a foundation 2 having a noor 3. This floor is provided with ventilation passagewaysfi having louvers 5 at the inlet ends to the ventilation passageways or vent ducts 4. Mounted upon this foundation 3l is an exterior wall of the container designated 6 composed of a pluralityof sections which may be boltedgor welded together to form the exterior wall of the hay container. If desired, this construction may be made of' one piece of steel, but itis more practical to make it of a plurality of segmental sections of uniform height which may be shipped in knocked-down condition and bolted or Weldedtogether on the farm. 1 e Y y I prefer to use copper bearing galvanized sheet steel because of itslong wearing qualities and because it is a conductor of electricity, thereby .providing a suitable protection to the contents of the container againstlightning and also serv- Ving as a protection against the effects of lightning on adjacent buildings. e Y

Mounted within this container in spaced relationship thereto to provide an exterior air pas- `sageway` 7 is a quarter inch mesh Zinc-clad woven wire mesh 8 which-is mounted upon the spacers v9. These spacers are located on alternate transverse courses or sections out of which the exterior of the container is built. The exact size of they mesh dependsupon the character of the hay or other material being stored within the container.

Within this container is erected a relatively narrow chute kl0 likewise composed of segmental vmetal sections which may be bolted or Weldedtogethen 'This metal chute is centrally located of the exterior wall 6 and carries on the exterior a similar series of spaced spacers 9a supporting an `annular covering of wire mesh 8a. Such a cov-'- Vering being spaced from the chute l0 forms an air passageway 1l which is in communication with the bottom air inlet opening 5 and the passageway 4.

Referring to Fig. 4 the doors 1'7 are adapted to close apertures in the chute 10.V There are a plurality of spacers 9a some of which are bolted to the walls of the chute'. Other spacers 9a are attached to the doors 17. The woven wire mesh 8a is attached to the spacers so as to leave a passageway for the movement of air between the imperforate walls of the chute and the wire mesh.

jnated 8a.

The wire mesh 8a which is supported by the spacers 9a of doors 17 is separated from the wire mesh which is supported directly on the chute 10 at the point 17a.

Both the air passageways 7 and 11 are open at the top communicating with the space 12 beneath the roof 13 which is carried .upon the exterior wall 6 of the container. The roof 13 is preferably made of metal and may be provided with a glazed skuttle in the roof as at 14. This roof is provided at its apex with a ventilator `15 and preferably with a motor-driven fan 16 for accelerating the passage of air out of the-ventif lator.

of the chute 10 a plurality o fsteps 18 are provided to constitutea ladder-'forV the operator.

The bottom of the chute 10 communicates withV a horizontal. passageway. .19 which extends beyond the wall V6.0i .the container as at 20 and thereby permits a covered communication with adjacent buildings. ,A door 2 1' is provided in .this passageway 19 having a corrugated ceiling V19a for access to the interior of the hay containing space Vbetweenlthe concentric .Wire mesh false wallsof the container. 4,Opposite the doors 17 are openings 17a in .the wire mesh 8a. Sections of wire mesh are carried on the doors kand removable therewith, thus permitting access through the openings the wire mesh`8ol when the doors 17' Vare opened. This construction is more fully shown Vin Figure 4 towards the right hand. of the figure. `The inner wire or iorami.- nous wall Vsurrounding the chuteY `1,0 is desig- One of the principles of ,determining the size and dimensions of this type o f hay container is to havev the distance A no Vgreater than `,that which, in View of the size, kind .andcondition `of the `hayjrnount'ed therein,y will .easily permit .of thecirculationof air through .the-,entire hay Vmassby reason of the entry of the. air .through the entrance vents asY at andla. VVents l5aa1e located in the outside wall 6 near. the bottom thereof and `allow theentrance of .outside air into the space between the wallQG Aand thewire mesh 8. The air flows'through the mesh 8 into the 'hay located Vbetween the wire 'mesh walls 8 and 8a. The air circulating throughthese passageways to and fromthe vhay and through the wire mesh 8 8o Vpermits* the carrying away of the gases which may be generated in thehay andgmaintainsthe hay at such a temperature that spontaneous combustion cannot take place.`

I` It will be under-stoodthat any number of the passageways 4 may be provided lfor the purpose of furnishing Yadequate'air circulation. Likewise,

the openings 5 and 5a are adjusted in number for the purposes required.

' To further facilitate this circulation of air and the evacuation of gases, I provide the fan 16. VThis fan is of advantage particularly in that'it can be used to .accelerate the evacuation -of airv during periods of the curing of the hay when it `is generating `the maximum amount of gases and the `maximum amount of heat.

By providing a plurality of vertically-.disposed metallic spacersfor supporting the wire mesh, the maximum area of the Amesh is left free for vthe circulation of air.

By the arrangement ,of the DfSSageway 1 9 Icom.- municati-ng with the chute ,1Q vthe hay can be to have access to different levels of the hay so as to require the minimum amountV of labor to pitch the hay from the container down the chute; by

having the hay container .of the diameter, the distance of pitchingthe hay is vreduced to the minimum. My invention, therefore, greatly economizes on manual labor in the operation' of a farm, dairy and the like.

vItwillbe understood that I desire to comirnre-av hend within my invention such modifications as may benecessaryfto adapt it tol varying condi- 5 tions. and uses;

lHaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by LettersV Patent, is:

1. In a lmethod of storing and Ventilating. hay, arranging the` hay in a hollow oolumniiiutrogucr ing air at the bottomk of the vcolumn andjrois.- trmuting. it uniformly to .the outside and inside thereof, circulating the air throllglOllt the .C915 umn, foreiblvevaouating the 'air Vfrom the topo! the. column, ,removing hay from the'topof ,the column from .time to time, and ydelivering .the removed Ydownwardly centrally. through, column andl thence laterally outside onthe` column. f

' 2- 1.1i oombinatioulin o hay container, an outways extending to the center of Ythe container,

an interiorly-disposed continuouslchute, means for forming` a Yhorizontallyedisposed passageway connecting ,the bottom .oi said .chute withthe ex,-

.teriorof thefcontaineig, a spaced false wall 'of 'Y Wire mesh on the exterior o f said Achute ,termios an interior air ,chamber in communication with the passagewaysy through .the support, seo,- end false wall of wire mesh mounted inepaoed relationship to the .outside continuous wall on Y the interior of the outside continuous wall forni.- ing` an air passageway. l. I v

3. In combination, in a hay container, an .out-

side `Vcontinuous iva-11,Y a .fouudotionsupportgsoid .support havingair inlet ports andair' passage.-

waysextending to -the .center of ,the container, ,an Y

interiorly-disposed continuous chute, meansffor forming Va horizontally-disposed p. as sagowtr` .Clonmeeting thebottom of-saidA chute with the .elite-1 rior of ,the container,A a spaced false avail of -vvire mesh [on ythe ,exterior of 'said chut@ forming;

interior .air chamber in communication with the passageways through the'support, a secondfalse wall of wire meshmounted irlsp'aoed .relatioushib tothe outside continuous Wallon the interior of the outside continuous Wall `for-mine an air neef sageway a roof .supportedby said container wall, j

`and Aa ventilator mounted in'said roof.

4. In combination, in a hay container, .outfside continuou'swall, ,a oundationsupport, said mesh on the exterior of said -chute vfoiinfiing an interior air chamber in communication Withthe passagewaysthrough .the support, a secondfalse .Wall ,of wire mesh mounted inspaced relationship to the outside continuous Wallpn =the interior@ the outside ycontinuous wall forming en -air;pas-

sageway, a roof supported by said container wall, a ventilator mounted in said roof, and means for forcibly evacuating the air beneath said roof out of said ventilator.

5. In combination, in a hay container, an outside continuous wall, a foundation support,v said support having air inlet ports and air passage- Ways extending to the center of the container,

an interiorly-disposed continuous chute, means for forming a horizontally-disposed passageway connecting the bottom of said chute with the exterior of the container, a spaced false wall of wire mesh on the exterior of said chute forming an interior air chamber in communication with the passageways through the support, a second false wall of wire mesh mounted in spaced relationship to the outside continuous wall on the interior of the outside continuous wall forming an air passageway, a roof supported by said container wall, a ventilator mounted in said roof, and means in said chute for removing hay comprising doors arranged at spaced intervals.

FREDERIC J. KREUTZER. 

